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"For him to do that, I felt I was riding reasonably well, he never said it but there must have been a reason, so this is just what I came up with.

"The only thing I could put it down to is my attitude wouldn't be brilliant at times.

"I wouldn't be the best loser.

"I would go a little bit blank, I wouldn't think very straight. I could take it out on the dog now fairly quick. [I would be] cranky. A lot of it would be down to my weight. I had huge problems with my weight."

But Russell now credits O'Leary for giving him the "kick up the backside" he needed.

He added: "A kick up the backside every fella needs.

"That year I won the Gold Cup and I rode two festival winners for Michael. That reinstated, he hasn't no problem with my riding."